Warning: Parameter 1 to wp_default_styles() expected to be a reference, value given in /home/quietr5/booksfromhale.com/wp-includes/plugin.php on line 546

Warning: Parameter 1 to wp_default_scripts() expected to be a reference, value given in /home/quietr5/booksfromhale.com/wp-includes/plugin.php on line 546The Internet is Not a Fact-Machine | Books From Hale

The Internet is Not a Fact-Machine

by Brandon

Here’s the thing… Americans are about to elect a new President.

That’s kind of a big deal.

Whether you support Romney, Obama, Jill Stein, Gary Johnson, or anybody else, it’s very important that you base your vote on true things. Obviously, it’s fine to have an opinion, but make sure that opinion is based on things that are true.

Voting is a fundamental right in this country, but with it comes a heavy responsibility.

Support who you want, but for the love of everything you hold holy, make sure you support that candidate based on things you have personally verified as true.

I’m seeing a lot of posts on social media that are – to put it bluntly – complete horseshit.

I’m not talking about opinions or predictions or evaluations.

I’m talking about direct quotes of candidates… quotes that are flat-out untrue. And the replies to these untrue posts are usually along the lines of, “OMG, That is awful!”

We cannot take those posts at face value. We simply cannot. Most of these statements can be verified as untrue within 5 minutes.

If you see a statement on any social media about a candidate – any candidate of any party – please verify that the statement is true.

Two sites that I use for this are Snopes and Politifact, but there are other reliable nonpartisan sites that will tell you if a statement is factually accurate. Just be sure to avoid “fact-checking” at any site affiliated with a particular party.

As Americans, we should vote based on our opinion of the candidate and our belief that this candidate is the best person for the job. We should never just blindly accept accusations from a candidate’s opposition and we should never blindly accept a shared social media post as fact…

And more importantly, we should never spread a statement that we have not verified as true.

Let’s be real here… the internet is full of untrue crap. As voters, it is our personal responsibility to weed through the crap.

Now, could someone help me off of this high horse. I’m getting dizzy up here.